The evening world., 1887-11-22
CHRISTMAS TRADE BLOCKED.
THE POST OFFICE CHOKED WITH UN.
DELIVERED PACKAGEa

Fourth Glass Metter-Dry Geeds Firms.
Publishing Houses and Wholesale Greoerp
the Principal surerers-Manv Cemplaists.
Incalculable injury and unheard-of annoy
ance has resulted to business firms In this
city in consequence of the recent ruling Of
the Postmaster General as to the regulations
governing second. third and fourth-clAss
mail matter. The novel Interpretation Of the
law, which is regarded by merchants gener-
ally as utterly unwarranted by the statutes,
was sprung on the community on Oct. 1 with
out the slightest warning or time for prspa-
ration, and made q sweeping change in the
forms permitted by the department for the
past eight years.
The immediate result Of the now order has
been to choke the rooms Of the PostOfloe
with tons upon tons of mail matter, upon
which advanced rates are demanded prior TO
delivery, and to deal a terrific blow a. the
out-of-town Christmas trade Of dry-goods
firms, publishing houses and wholesale
grocers.
The trouble all arises from the fact that on
all except first class, or letter, matter, ct Two
cents an ounce the senders are forbidden to
put anything beyond the names and addresses
Of the sender and the addressed. This seemS
| a simple and inpocuous regulation, but IL has
far-reaching results.
In sending merchandise through the mail
the firms selling the article have been for
with i'll their name and address in tho Upper
left. hand corner, with the nature of their
business, I" Publisher, y " Importing Grocer"
Dry Goods" &c: The postal authorities
properly part of the name and address Of the
sender and were allowable on the wrapper.
Trademarks and designs, such as embellish
the title at the top of the first page of TEE
WORLD, were also admitted without question
and frequently appeared on the wrapper
used by publishers and other houses.
When the radical change was made IN ths
50 suddenly as to fall heavily as possible ON
those affected by it. No notice was given,
no time allowed for the presumably wicked
to respond and reform before the thundsr-
The first news Of the novel conclusion ar
rived at by the Washington authorities re-
ceived by the American News Company was
when over two tons of book matter addressed
to them was detained at the Post Office, and
they got word that about 81, 900 was due for
the difference between third and first class
rates. The sole reason for this monstrous
charge was that the out-of;town agents Of the
American New Company had sent the books
and periodicals in wrappers printed In the
corner: " From -, news agents. -
Chicago" or elsewhere.
,Dry-goods firms such as Macy.e, o'Neilis,
Simpson, Crawford & Simpson, Altman, Rid
ley, Lord l. Taylor and lie Boutillier do an
immense business through the mails with
country customers, postal rates being much
less than express charges on lightweight ar
ticles and there being post-of6ces in many
country towns and villages which the ex-
press does not reach; These firms send
catalogues t%hroughSut the county I n nth nth
agree to deliver the goods by mail. The sud-
den change of rules governing third and
fourth class matter caused thousands Of these
L. -A1 49,
who naturally accused the New York firms d
bad faith In not properly preparing tho post
age.
was merely that the wrapper bore the imprint
DRY goods" or 0 red star or other trade
mark. Slight as It was, it was sufficient TO
cause the Post Office authorities to reject the
parcels as third or fourth class matter, and
to charge SO cents per pound instead of 9 or
l6 cents. In many instances, as In small con-
signments of soap, stationery and corset
hses the fine" demanded By the poss-
ALI the firms named, and many others, have
numbers of packages lying in the Post-Of-
fee here awaiting the payment of hrst.olass
rates for they a.. Are mac. s9n snS cguI IeSeir cns
toners often make mistakes in ordering and
have to return the goods for exchange or Al
t~eration.
so far occasioned were all the matter would
be serious enough, but the story is not half
told. This is the busiest time Of the year,
the Christmas trade having fully set IN All
of wrappers and envelopes already printed,
such as they have used for years: They
must be charged, in compliance with the
new ruling, for they cannot aford 70 ssnd
annot be done for everybody within eev-
eral weeks at least, and in the meantime
they suffer intolersble inconvenience-
~ i n0S ely Mhy y , "a 20 v hisS IN &C.,
eminent printed for them their buatneA
card. The words " Importing Groosrs ars
fatal, and the whole stock is useless for ths
The book arm of Belford. Clarke 4 o..
dered useless By the presence OF the word
.gg a1 she. sso T The Sf m s Sesa, sa1 a0i be ,S Sssr
Chicago agent at third class rates are held by
the Post-0fice authorities for Q further pay
ment of S5o-two and q half times the value
Of the goods. Mr.. Belford says he intends to
sue for an injunction restraining the postal
authorities from enforcing the Few rule
The American New Company has ped
toned the Postmaster General 10 remit tho
defer inistenee pom the new Interpretation
until Dec. Is
Macy 4 Co. have made O ~trenuous profess
and have received 9 letter from PostmAstar-
GenerA Villas, in which. while declining to
alter the decision arrived st by the depart
ment, he SAYS:
am not entitled TO crit!ctss AlaW which II -
only my duiV 10 obey, Yet viii venture : . renAKE
tat 20 ne II appears dr1eulI 70 JUSTLY the fun az
tent TO WsicA the exclusion Of printing upoa
packets Of Talrd aud fo1rIh class matter eISe1dA
50 tina; sumeienl clear space 10 reese we'd for he ID
crtsS lis e~orrec;So for re.orWkrding and the poSA.
masks required, without confusion TO the eye OF
tke clerks IN asndling, 'aeTe APP-As Il lie reason
10 7rNAioii on TIE sI,eE1oE printing UaieA nay b
placed wIihin
The last few words Of the PoscmAE4er-G0A-
erAl refer TO the curious fact that. the printed
! nsAfaar which the nNSTAl arNhnFffnAR e~lnEadRR
50 objectionable on the tsee Of . wrapper,
Nigh; be sent in any quantity inside an or